


Waiting Room

by Weareallstoriesintheend



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-08 10:58:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5494664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weareallstoriesintheend/pseuds/Weareallstoriesintheend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of 4x09, Felicity finds herself in an unusual place with a familiar face as her guide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea hit me after the proposal and someone mentioned how happy Tommy would have been for them. I've always thought that Tommy would love Felicity and this is my chance to explore that within canon, I suppose. I have a second part written so I'll try to post it later today. I have no idea how long this is going to be or when I'll be updating. Sorry. I hope you like it. Let me know or come find me on tumblr at lynslogic.

Felicity was confused. She didn’t know where she was and she seemed to have lost Oliver. Everything looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place anything. It was like her brain was too fuzzy. 

“Hi,” came a gentle voice from behind her. 

She whirled around only to come face to face with Tommy Merlyn. That couldn’t be right. Tommy was dead. 

“You’re dead,” she blurted out before she could stop herself. 

His face broke out into a grin and suddenly Felicity could see how he had broken hundreds of hearts during his lifetime. 

“Dozens, maybe,” he countered. “Definitely not hundreds.” 

Apparently she had spoken out loud. 

“If you’re here, does that mean I’m dead too?” she asked, afraid of the answer, but needing to know anyway. 

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Tommy prompted, avoiding the question. 

“Oliver proposing,” she answered instantly, looking down at her hand. The ring was still there. 

Tommy grinned at her. 

“I never thought I’d see the day,” he told her. “Could he have been any cheesier?” 

“Nope,” Felicity agreed, grinning back at him. “It was perfect.” 

Until it wasn’t. Suddenly Felicity remembered what happened next. The limo ride with Oliver. The way he’d held her hand and kissed her like he never wanted to stop. He’d looked at her like she was everything he’d ever wanted and couldn’t believe he’d ever  
have. 

Then came the bullets. She could still hear them piercing through the car, still feel the way Oliver had covered her with his body, protecting her. 

Then it was black, there was nothing. 

“Tommy, am I dead?” she asked again, more urgently this time. 

Tommy stepped closer and grabbed her hand. For a dead man, he was surprisingly warm. 

“No, Felicity, you’re not dead,” he reassured her. 

“Then where am I? How are you here? Where’s Oliver?” 

“It’s hard to explain,” Tommy began. “This is like a waiting room.” 

Her brow furrowed in confusion. What was he talking about? 

“You got shot, Felicity. It’s bad. Really bad.” 

“Are you saying I’m going to die?” she demanded. “That I’m stuck here waiting to die?” 

Tommy shook his head. Still holding onto her hand, he pulled her over to a bench and made her sit down next to him. 

“No, that’s not what I’m saying. You’re not going to die. It’s not your time yet.” 

“Then what,” Felicity started, but Tommy held up a hand to stop her. 

“Let me try to explain again. You are not going to die, but you are hurt. Badly. It’s going to take a while for the doctors to put you back together again. I thought this might be a good chance to get to know each other a little.” 

Felicity blinked at him. Was this really happening? Was she seriously sitting on a park bench talking to her fiancée’s dead best friend? The whole thing was so surreal she decided to just go with it. 

“Ok, Tommy,” she told him. “Let’s get to know each other.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Felicity continue to catch up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second part I posted on tumblr last night. Hope you like it!

“How long have you been watching us?” Felicity asked him.

“It took a little bit,” Tommy admitted. “It was disorienting at first, dying.”

Felicity winced at his words and Tommy shot her a small smile.

“Don’t feel sorry for me, Felicity. I’m not alone, you know.”

“You’re not?”

“No, my mom is here too. I love that I get to be here with her,” he told her with a smile.

Her face lit up at his words. “I’m so happy to hear that, Tommy. Did she help you figure how to watch us?”

“Not really. It’s kind of something you have to figure out for yourself.”

“So, when did you?”

“I kept getting glances for months. Just enough to frustrate me. I would see Laurel crying or Thea running the club, but seeing Oliver on the island was the most frustrating,” Tommy explained.

She nodded in agreement. Oliver running back to the island had been incredibly frustrating for her too.

“When I finally figured out how to break through and watch whenever I wanted, the first thing I saw was Oliver swinging through the air like Tarzan to scoop you off of a landmine,” he smirked.

Felicity threw her head back and laughed, the memory of that moment washing over her. Tommy smiled at her. It was so easy to see why his best friend was head over heels for her. Her laughter was infectious and she was so kind to worry about him.

“So, you’ve been spying on us for over two years now?” Felicity teased.

“Not just you,” Tommy defended. “I’ve kept an eye on Thea and Laurel, too.”

Felicity searched his face and he could tell she was searching for signs of feelings about Laurel, but he wasn’t about to give those away. Those feelings were only for himself and maybe someday Laurel.

“Well,” she finally said after realizing she wasn’t going to get anything out of him. “I bet you were always entertained. The last couple of years have been….interesting.”

“You can say that again,” Tommy agreed. “Between Slade, R’as and my father, it hasn’t been boring. And no, I really don’t want to talk about my father.”

Felicity held her hands up in surrender though Tommy could tell how hard it was for her not to pry.

“My favorite part though, “he continued ready to lighten the mood. “Was watching you and Oliver fall in love.”

The blonde smiled softly, her Oliver smile. He recognized it from the times people would talk about Oliver to her. He wasn’t sure if she was even aware of it.

“I never got the chance to see the two of you together when I was there so I completely missed it.”

“Missed what?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowed together.

“The fact that he was already half in love with you even before I died.”

Felicity shook her head in protest, “Tommy, no. It didn’t come until much later.”

“You’re wrong, Felicity. I know I came to the party late, but when I saw you two on the island together, I knew there was something there. He responded to you like I’d never seen before.”

She still looked skeptical and Tommy shook his head. The living were so clueless sometimes.

“I would tell you to ask anyone else who was watching too, but they are all leaving us alone,” Tommy told her casually.

Her reaction did not disappoint.

“What?!” she squealed. “There were other people watching too?”

“Of course,” he said. “I’m not the only one here, you know. I already told you that my mom is here. So…”Tommy let his voice trail off. He could see her brain working overtime.

“Robert,” she whispered.

Tommy nodded. “At first it was just him, the two of us had fun making bets on the two of you.”

“You were betting on us?” she asked incredulously. “What kind of bets?”

“You know, first kiss, first one to say I love you. I lost that one, by the way, I was sure you’d let it slip before Oliver.” Tommy pinned her with a look that said thanks a lot.

“What were the stakes?” Felicity wondered.

“No stakes,” he answered. “We don’t exactly have money over here. It was more about distracting ourselves from having to watch you all go through so much pain.”

“Tommy,” she started, but he stopped her.

“No, we are not discussing Slade, R’as or Malcolm. You won’t be here all that long and I’d rather talk to you about the good things, okay?”

He was relieved when she nodded in agreement. This was not the time or place to remind Felicity of the hell she had been through in the last couple of years. No, she needed to remember the good things right now.

“Good. Now, where were we? Oh yes. You and Oliver playing Tarzan and Jane in the jungle,” Tommy remembered with a gleam in his eye. He was not disappointed when Felicity’s eye grew wide and a blush rose up her cheeks.

“Tommy!” she protested. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Oh, come on, Felicity,” he pushed, truly enjoying seeing the sparkle back in her eye. “Are you telling me that that little fantasy never occurred to you after watching him swing across on a vine to scoop you up?”

Felicity shook her head a little too emphatically before answering, “Never. And even if it had, my fantasies about Oliver are none of your business.”

The prim look on her face was too much for him to handle. Tommy doubled over with laughter like he hadn’t done in so long. Felicity for her part looked torn between joining him and keeping up the falsely offended façade. In the end, Tommy’s laughter proved to be too infectious and she was soon doubled over with him.

It took him several minutes to compose himself. When he finally did, he turned to Felicity and said, “Damn. I really like you.”

Her face lit up. “I really like you too, Tommy,” she told him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“What should we talk about next? Your trip to Russia or when Sara came back to life the first time?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote most of this while really bored at work today. I have no beta on this so all mistakes are mine. Let me know what you think! You can also find me on tumblr at lynslogic

"I don't want to talk about Russia," Felicity told him, her voice flat. 

Tommy was surprised. With her and Oliver together now, he would have thought she could laugh it off. Apparently that was not the case. 

"I'm sorry, Felicity," he told her softly. "I was just trying to lighten the mood. I didn't mean to upset you." 

She looked up at him and gave him a small smile, "I know that, Tommy." She sighed before speaking again. "It's probably stupid, but anytime I think about Russia and our talk after, all I can think about is all the wasted time, you know?" 

Tommy lifted an arm and slung it over her shoulders bringing her head to rest against him. 

"I know all about wasted time, Felicity. Trust me, I was screaming at him from over here." 

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up with big blue eyes behind her glasses. "Yeah?" 

Tommy smiled, "Yeah. I called him every name in the book." 

"That's....oddly sweet, Tommy." 

He squeezed her shoulders reassuringly when she rested her head back on him again. "Feel like walking around?" he asked. 

She nodded and they both stood. After several minutes of walking in comfortable silence, Tommy finally broached another subject. 

"So, let's skip the whole Sara thing for now. Tell me about Barry." 

Her head shot up at his words and Tommy bit back a laugh at the expression on her face. 

"You want to talk about Barry?" she asked, shocked. 

"What? I like Barry. I do," he insisted at her expression of disbelief. "Why wouldn't I like him? He seems like a nice guy." 

"He is a nice guy," Felicity agreed still looking wary. 

"I know there was some...tension between you and Oliver about Barry, but I was completely on your side." 

This time Felicity actually stopped walking to stare at him. When she doesn't say anything, Tommy turned around and stared back at her. "What?" he finally asked. 

"You? Were on my side? In a fight with Oliver?" she repeated, sounding dumbfounded. 

"Felicity, just because Oliver was my best friend doesn't mean I think he's always right. In Fact, I know better than most people how very wrong he can be." 

"Is." 

"What?" Tommy asked, confused. 

"Oliver is your best friend, not was. Death doesn't change that," Felicity told him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it as she spoke. 

Squeezing her hand back, Tommy stared at her in wonder. Was she for real? Man, Oliver was a lucky bastard. 

"How about I share the title with you?" he asked, voice thick with emotion. 

She nodded and started walking again, her hand still in his. 

"Barry?" Tommy prompted. 

"What's there to say? We met Barry working on a case and he's become a friend." She was obviously trying to get him to drop the subject, but Tommy wasn't ready to let it go. 

"Ok," she continued when he stayed silent. "So, maybe there was something there. Something that could have been more if he hadn't gotten struck by lightning." 

"I think that was the first time I'd ever seen Oliver truly jealous," Tommy told her, grinning as he remembered watching his best friend struggle with the attractive between Oliver and Felicity. 

Felicity grinned back at him, "Yeah, except I didn't realize it at the time. I just thought he was being a dick." 

Tommy threw his head back and barked out a laugh. "Oh, he was being a dick," Tommy agreed. "But it was because he was still in denial about his feelings for you. Then comes this guy, someone sweet and normal and smart, and suddenly the possibility of losing you became very real." 

"So, instead of talking to me about it, he decides to be a jerk to Barry?" Felicity queried. "What kind of sense does that make?" 

Tommy shrugged, "It made sense to Oliver at the time. Listen, that man has never been incredibly in touch with his feelings and his time on the island along with other places, made sure emotions were tamped down." 

"I know that, Tommy." 

"Then you should also know that you undo him. You have from the beginning. Something about you breaks through all the walls, all the defenses he's built up after so much freaking tragedy and you make him feel. Two years ago he didn't know how to deal with that, so he acted like a jealous prick." 

"I wish you could have been there, Tommy," she admitted in a quiet voice. "I could have used someone who knew him so well to talk to back then." 

"One of my many regrets is that you and I never really got the chance to know each other when I was alive," he told as he pulled her in for another hug. 

Something about her tugged at his heart; he felt this overwhelming need to protect her since Oliver wasn't here to do it himself. 

"I would've liked being your friend. Though from some of the stories Oliver tells me, I'm not sure I could have kept up," Felicity told him with a smile. 

Wrapping his arm back around her shoulders, Tommy turned them back down the path they were on and they started walking again. 

"Oliver would have hated us being friends," he said, nonchalantly. 

"Why?" 

"Because I would have told you so many stories and secrets about him that he would have never stood a chance against you." 

"Oh yeah," She challenged. "Like what?" 

"Hmmm, let's see. I could have told you that he's tickling on the back of his neck or that there's a scar on his leg from when we fell over the fence in my backyard trying to sneak out." 

Felicity laughed like he hoped she would. 

"Mostly though," he continued. "I would have told you that if you just walked up to him and kissed him, he wouldn't have been able to resist. He would have scooped you up and never let go." 

Looking down at his blonde friend, he saw that she was smiling. 

"Your way was better though," he told her, smiling when she looked up at him with questioning eyes. "As frustrating as it was to watch you two dance around each other, it was necessary to get where you are now. Happy, engaged." 

"So, Tommy. since we are strolling down memory lane. What do you want to talk about next?" Felicity questioned. 

"Why don't you tell me about Count Vertigo and then we discuss the fact that Thea is my sister."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Tommy continue their talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have been so sweet with all the kudos and comments! Thank you for your support of this little fic I've got going here. I really appreciate it. I'd love to know what you think of this one. Let me know or come find me on [tumblr](http://lynslogic.tumblr.com/)

Felicity stopped dead in her tracks, causing Tommy to stumble, dropping his arm from her shoulder in the process. After recovering, Tommy turned to his new friend in confusion, only to find her standing still with a stricken look on her face.

“Felicity?” he questioned, his alarm increasing. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t be mad at him,” she whispered.

Tommy’s brow furrowed, his confusion still not abated. “Mad at who?”

“Oliver,” she quickly responded. “Please don’t be mad at Oliver for killing the Count. He didn’t want to, he just thought he didn’t have a choice. I know he felt bad about it after, though and…..”

“Hey,” Tommy said, cutting her off. Pulling her into a quick hug, Tommy whispered in her ear, “I’m not mad at him.”

“You’re not?” came the muffled reply, her face still buried in the front of his shirt.

“Of course not,” he reassured her. Tommy placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her away from him just enough to see her face. “Hey, he didn’t have a choice. That lunatic was going to hurt you. Oliver did the right thing.

He felt her shoulder sag in relief at the sincerity in his voice. Tommy squeezed her shoulders once before turning to continue their walk. He smiled when he heard Felicity fall into step beside him.

“So, Thea,” Felicity finally said after several moments of companionable silence.

“Yeah, Thea, “Tommy chuckled. “Can’t say I saw that one coming.”

“I don’t think any of us did,” Felicity agreed. “Were you upset when you found out?”

Tommy was silent for a minute as he thought back.

“Not upset,” he clarified. “Surprised, yes. Concerned, yes. Upset, no. Thea has always been my sister, now I know we share DNA.”

“Oh God,” Felicity gasped. “Robert! Your mom! They must have been so hurt when they found out.”

Shaking his head, Tommy reached for her hand and squeezed it. “They already knew.”

“Oh.”

Silence fell once again as they wandered through the park. Tommy glanced over at her a little while to see her playing with her new engagement ring.

“They’re really happy about it, you know,” Tommy stated, biting back a grin when his word shook her out of her thoughts.

“What? Who?” Felicity asked him, confused.

“Robert and Moira,” he said. “They’re really happy about you and Oliver.”

Felicity snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure Moira Queen is thrilled that I’M marrying her son.”

“She is. I swear, she is!” Tommy insisted when she shot him an incredulous look. “Look, I know the two of you had your differences, but she really does like you.”

Her face told him that she wasn’t buying it.

“There’s a clarity that comes with being here, Felicity,” he began to explain. “It’s like all the things you were worried about fade away and only the truly important things remain. Over the last year and half, she has come to see how vital you are to Oliver’s   
happiness.”

He could see she was starting to believe him. Time to bring out the big guns.

“She wanted to come see you herself, when we knew you were coming here. She wanted to tell you all of this in person, but we decided that, with the way you two left things, it would be better to have a friendly face.”

“She wanted to talk to me?” Felicity asked, obviously trying to wrap her brain around this concept.

“Yep,” Tommy answered with a smile. “You’re not going to be here long enough for us to try to find her now, but I am supposed to pass on a message. Ready?”

Felicity stopped walking and tugged on Tommy’s hand to get him to stop too. He turned to look at her, eyebrows raised at his question. Finally she nodded.

“Felicity, I am so sorry that I ever asked you to lie to Oliver. I realize now that what I initially saw as a silly little crush on my son, was actually a deep, meaningful, and trusting relationship that I am thrilled to see has blossomed into a love that will last you both   
for the rest of your lives. Thank you for loving my son so much that you put his needs before your own. Thank you for loving and caring for my daughter. I couldn’t have asked for a better sister for her or daughter-in-law for Robert and myself. That ring is so much more special because YOU are wearing it.”

Felicity stood in shocked silence. He could see her brilliant mind struggling to understand everything he’d just said. Tommy bit back and grin and waited for her to process.

“Did you just make all that up, cause I have to say, it was incredible if you did.” Felicity said after several minutes.

Tommy threw his head back and laughed. A deep, joyful belly laugh that felt so good. When he recovered, he saw Felicity smiling at him hesitantly, her question still hanging in the air between them.

“No, Felicity, I didn’t make it up. Those words were directly from Moira Queen herself.” Tommy reached out and grabbed her hand once again, resuming their walk.

“And you just memorized the whole thing,” she asked, her tone one of disbelief.

“I told you, things are different here.”

“She really said all of that?” Felicity half-whispered. “You’re right, Moira and I had our differences, but she was still Oliver’s mother and the thought that she wouldn’t have approved of us together… I think it’s hurt more than I realized.”

Tommy’s heart broke a little at his friend’s confession.

“Not to worry then, gorgeous,” Tommy said, bumping his hip into hers a little. “You have the Moira Queen seal of approval. The Tommy Merlyn seal of approval too.”

Felicity bumped her hip back against his and grinned, “And we both know that’s the only one that matters.”

“Damn right,” he agreed.

“Alright, Merlyn. What’s next?” Felicity questioned.

“What are you in the mood for? Tockman or “the Huntress?” Tommy teased.

Felicity laughed at his choices before saying, “Dealer’s choice.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have been so great in supporting this, whatever it is. Thank you for all the comments and kudos. They are truly appreciated. I hope you enjoy Chapter 5. Come find me on [tumblr ](lynslogic.tumblr.com)

Tommy watched Felicity’s hair fly as she swung through the air. They had found a swing set in their wandering and he had noticed Felicity’s eyes light up. After his offer of a push, Felicity was now swinging through the air, legs pumping, face lit up in a huge grin. It made Tommy feel warm inside to see her happy. He didn’t know exactly what was going to happen to her once she left, but he knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

They had glossed over the topic of Tockman, both agreeing that mentions of the first time she had been shot may be better left unsaid. The Huntress topic had died out quickly too, both deciding that Helena was where she needed to be.

Swinging in silence for a while, Tommy contemplated how to bring up what he really wanted to discuss. Slade. There was so much that had happened between the Mirakuru soldiers, Isabel taking the company from Oliver, Moira’s death and the attack on the city, Tommy wasn’t sure where to begin. 

“Do you know what this reminds me of,” he finally began, breaking the silence. Felicity turned her head toward him and raised her eyebrows in question. “It reminds me of when Slade broke into the Arrow cave and Oliver cartwheeled you off the stairs.”

Felicity threw her head back and laughed as she continued to swing. “That could be least smooth transition I’ve ever heard, Tommy. And that’s saying something coming from me.”

Tommy laughed, “Well, I couldn’t think of a better way to bring it up.”

“What do you want to know about it?” Felicity asked, the grin still in place.

“Did it feel as cool as it looked?” he asked eagerly.

She was silent for a minute, continuing to swing. “I don’t know,” she finally answered. “It happened so fast I didn’t have time to think about it.”

“And you never thought about it since then?” he asked incredulous. 

“Well, I wouldn’t say never,” she admitted wryly. “But I never thought about how cool it looked.”

“Let me tell you, it was awesome to watch. The way he just grabbed you and flipped you both over that rail? Amazing.”

Felicity chuckled, “Careful Tommy,” she warned. “You’re beginning to sound like a Green Arrow fanboy.”

“Nah,” he disagreed. “But an Oliver Queen fanboy? Hell yeah. I’ve been a card-carrying member since we were five.”

This time Felicity laughed so hard he thought she might fall off the swing.

“Oh God,” she panted when she could speak again. “Oliver is going to love that!”

Tommy’s joy diminished a little. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that she wouldn’t remember any of this when she woke up. 

“I know the whole Slade situation was next to impossible for you guys. It was incredibly difficult to watch, but there were some bright spots,” he said, trying to keep the light mood.

Her smile fell a little. “Really?” she asked. “Because I all I can remember is pain and anger and tears and fear.”

Tommy nodded, “Yeah, I know. But in the middle of all of that, there were these little moments between you and Oliver that convinced Robert and I, and later Moira that you two were going to make it. Not only make it, but save everyone.”

Felicity had stopped pumping her legs while he’d been talking and now sat still on her swing staring at him. “How could you have possibly have known that?” she asked skeptically.

“You don’t see it, do you?” he asked, shaking his head. “You and Oliver are amazing people on your own. Strong, kind, passionate people, but the two of you together? That’s magic.”

“Tommy...” she started, but he cut her off.

“I know you two weren’t together then. You thought it was an unrequited crush and Oliver was still trying to sort out his feelings for you, but, even then, something powerful happened when you two worked together. You brought out the absolute best in each other. You still do.”

His stomach clenched when he saw the tears in her eyes. He opened his mouth to apologize for saying too much or upsetting her when she launched herself at him. 

He barely managed to stay on the swing as Felicity wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed.

“You, Tommy Merlyn, re even sappier than Oliver,” she whispered in his ear. “Thank you for that. It means a lot. ”

Tommy smiled and squeezed her back. When she pulled away, Tommy grabbed her hand and they began to walk again.

“As much as I love Oliver, there were a few times I wanted to come back and wring his neck.” Tommy admitted as they passed a see-saw.

“Only a few?” Felicity teased.

“Okay, more than a few,” he yielded. “Like when he offered you up for bait to Slade.”

“He didn’t do that lightly, Tommy. It was our best option,” she tried to reassure him.

Tommy nodded. “I know. And it worked, you fooled him and it was great, but watching the two of you in the Queen Manor was tough.”

Felicity huffed out a humorless laugh. “It wasn’t exactly easy on me either, but it was necessary.”

“I know. You were amazing, Felicity. I’ve never seen anyone so brave.” His voice rang with sincerity and she squeezed his hand in response.

“The next time was on the beach,” he continued. “When you were talking to him about what happened between you two. I thought for sure he’d kiss the hell out of   
you then and tell you he meant it, but alas, my pig-headed friend just left you hanging.” 

“He wasn’t ready, Tommy,” she told him softly. “Neither of us were. That was as close as we could get then. Have you ever felt something so powerful for someone that it scared the hell out of you?”

“Yes,” he stated simply.

“That’s where we both were. On the edge of something, terrified of screwing it up. Why mess with something that was working, you know?”

He did know. He had felt that once. The fear and anxiety that leads to a decision to keep the status quo until that no longer satisfies. 

“Thus led to the summer of unbearable sexual tension,” Tommy sighed, stifling a smile.

“Hey,” she protested. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Felicity, I’m dead and it was excruciating. The flirting was out of control.”

Her face lit up in a smile at the memory of the time before it all fell apart again. He could tell she was remembering all the little touches and shy smiles they had given each other over those months. Before their first date. Before the explosion.

“You’re probably right,” she acknowledged. “I’m surprised Digg and Roy didn’t lock us in a closet or something.”

“Trust me,” he told her. “The idea was tossed around.”

Felicity just rolled her eyes. “So we flirted. A lot. What’s the harm? Like I said, we both knew there was something there. It was our way of working it out for a while.”

“Until Oliver finally asked you out,” Tommy prompted.

“Yeah,” she sighed with a small smile. “I’d never been so happy. I’d started convincing myself that maybe it was all in my head. That we were just the best of friends and it was never going to be more.”

Tommy shook his head in exasperation. People in love were so blind to each other sometimes. 

“Then one day,” she continued. “He just asked me to dinner. Like it was nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing,” Tommy told her. “That man was so nervous and excited. I’d never seen him like that before.”

Felicity shot him a grateful smile. “It was going so well too. He was opening up to me in ways I never thought he would. And then…” her voice trailed off.

“And then.” Tommy repeated. “Yet another time I wanted to slap some sense into that man.”

“Its okay, Tommy,” she said, trying to soothe him. “We’ve figured it out. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t a while lot of suck at the time though.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You’re too good for him, Felicity,” he told her with a teasing smile. “Now, I’m going to push you on the merry-go-round while you tell me about Ray Palmer.”


End file.
